Heather Huston Johnson | Chief Executive Officer | Born and raised in Portland, Heather Johnson moved to Bend in 1997 to fulfill a dream of living where she had vacationed. A fourth-generation Oregonian with an accounting degree from University of Oregon, Heather’s professional and personal lives have revolved around her passion for all this state has to offer. She began her career with an accounting firm and then a golf events promoter in Portland, before taking the lead as sales and marketing director for Bend Living magazine on the east side of the mountains. Heather co-founded 1859 Oregon’s Magazine in 2008, and today serves as owner and CEO for Oregon Media, overseeing the production of many publications including the company’s flagship periodical, Bend Magazine. When she isn’t meeting with clients, managing company operations or strategizing for the future, Heather loves to ski, golf, hike and spend time with her friends and family, including her husband Ross and their children, Hannah and Fletcher. Heather is also involved in many community events and organizations, including serving on the board of directors of Oregon Adaptive Sports.

Ross Johnson | President | Fourth-generation Oregonian Ross Johnson grew up in Portland with a family that loved to explore. While traveling around the state to ski, backpack, fish, cycle and play tennis, Ross found that he loved all four corners of this state, but that his favorite region was Central Oregon. After earning a Bachelor of Arts from University of Oregon, Ross settled in Bend. As President and Co-Publisher of Oregon Media, he manages the sales department and spends his days interacting with members of the amazing Bend community. Ross loves working with an outstanding team, representing excellent publications, and enjoying what he feels is the very best job he’s ever had. In his free time find him on Mt. Bachelor or at Elk Lake with his wife Heather and two children, Hannah and Fletcher.

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Katryna Vecella | Associate Publisher | Katryna Vecella joined Oregon Media in February 2021 when she moved from Park City, UT, to Bend for new scenery. She graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas in 2015 and has spent the years since discovering her passion for travel, writing, and interacting with people of all sorts. Katryna loves her role as marketing manager because it allows her to work with the team while also reaching the community. She tries anything and everything outdoors in her free time. Her main hobbies include skiing, mountain biking, and backpacking with her husband Frank and giant lab, Winston.

Susan Crow | Sr. Account Executive | Susan Crow wanted to be a diplomat when she grew up, which led her to a degree in International Service from American University. But her father told her she could always get a job teaching, so she next achieved a degree in education. After moving to Portland, Oregon from Chicago, she taught school for a few years before changing direction into what has become a long career in sales and marketing. Susan worked for the Portland Opera, the Portland TrailBlazers, and Sagacity Media before joining Oregon Media in 2015 as Senior Account Executive. She loves driving around Oregon promoting tourism and this wonderful state. When she’s not being a road warrior, Susan spends time with family, including her adorable grandson, and enjoys life with her husband on the Willamette River.

Ronnie Harrelson | Sr. Account Executive | Ronnie Harrelson grew up in Washington State and has lived in Bend for thirty years. With her husband Guy, she has raised three children, Carter, Annie and Adaline. An avid believer in trying anything once, Ronnie has jumped into just about every hobby known to man, from fly tying to knitting. The one activity that sticks is gardening, and you can often find Ronnie hanging out in her back yard with her chickens. Ronnie also enjoys the great outdoors from camping to skiing, and the many restaurants, food carts and brewers in Bend. She loves to travel, but coming home to Bend makes her especially happy. With six years under her belt as an Oregon Media Account Executive, Ronnie is thrilled to work for this amazing company.

Kelly Alexander | Creative Director | A native of California who studied marketing and design at UC Santa Barbara, Kelly Alexander worked as a marketing director for a real estate company before joining Oregon Media as Art Director & Production Manager in 2015. Her organizational and artistic talents are put to work daily in creating advertisements for clients, building magazine layouts, and producing and managing digital media products. When she’s not at the computer, Kelly loves being active with her husband Marc and two young sons, Dane and Eli. As a family, they enjoy biking, swimming, the outdoors and taking in Bend’s great small-town, family-friendly vibe.

Cali Clement | Director of Marketing | Native Oregonian and Oregon Media’s Associate Creative Director Cali Clement grew up in the Willamette Valley, graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Multimedia and Design, and lived in Portland prior to moving to Bend thirteen years ago. Over the past two decades, Cali has worked for many companies, from investment firms to creative agencies connecting brands with people through meaningful storytelling and illuminating experiences through great design. When she is not at the computer, Cali is probably with her husband, enjoying craft beer, good coffee, bicycling and chasing their two young boys on their next Bend adventure.

Jeremiah Crisp | Graphic Designer | Jeremiah Crisp joined Oregon Media after graduating from George Fox University with a degree in Film and Multimedia, and also after realizing that the job he had editing wedding videos wasn’t going to be his thing. He moved to Bend from Portland in 2019, bringing his skills and personable demeanor to the role of Graphic Designer. Jeremiah loves his friendly teammates in the design group, and his job allows him to do a little bit of everything, from creating ads from scratch to helping promote the Oregon Media brand. Off the clock, Jeremiah enjoys drawing and doodling, camping, hiking and watching really cheesy films from the 1980s.

Tiffany Paulin | Creative Consultant | A native of Washington state, Tiffany Paulin’s parents were entrepreneurs who home-schooled her in practical applications of academic subjects, contributing greatly to both her business savvy and marketing acumen: instead of math, she learned accounting. Instead of art, she helped to design products and advertising for her family’s businesses. A child prodigy on the violin, she won a National Championship for fiddle at the age of eight, and she began formal studies at the University of Washington at just nine years of age. Tiffany went on to graduate at just seventeen years old with a Bachelor of Arts degree. A career in advertising and design followed. As Creative Director for Oregon Media, and also as a realtor with LivBend Real Estate, Tiffany is a results-oriented, creative and intuitive bringer of solutions who knows how to roll up her sleeves and get down to business. In her free time, find her on horseback on her ranch in Tumalo.

A Bendite since 1999, Heidi loves living and raising her family in the goodness of Central Oregon. Formerly an elementary and middle school teacher, writing has been Heidi’s lifelong passion. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Heidi returned to her Oregon roots and earned a master’s degree at Lewis & Clark College. Joining Oregon Media is a dream come true; she feels so honored to work with such a dynamic, outstanding team, writing and collaborating while looking out over beautiful Mirror Pond. Heidi’s favorite thing in the world is to be surrounded by her family, her husband Graham, son Logan, daughters Annabelle and Lily, pups Appa and Lady and the coolest cat Tig Tig. A lover of trail running, Heidi feels the most at home in nature, soaking up the energy of forests all over the world and hugging lots of trees.  

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Sage Gripekoven and his family moved to Bend in 2017, achieving a longtime dream to live on this side of the mountains. His role as an Account Executive for Oregon Media means that each day, he meets new people and learns a little more about this amazing community. A graduate of UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Sage is trained as a chef and worked in restaurants before transitioning to sales. Sage, his wife and their two daughters love Bend’s natural beauty and outdoor lifestyle, and can often be found hiking, biking, skiing and fishing, often with their two dogs in tow.

Bend native Heather Renee Wong earned a degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, worked for a clothing company, and became a certified yoga instructor before returning home in 2018, preferring the peace of Central Oregon to the hustle of Los Angeles. As Office Manager, Heather oversees all things related to the office hub, invoicing and digital accounts. She loves being behind the scenes, helping the company run smoothly and efficiently, and that she gets to work with all company departments. In her free time, find Heather painting, reading, hiking, and spending time with her family, including her husband Aaron and their two rabbits, Harvey and Evie.

Amara Spittler joined Oregon Media in 2019, bringing experience in hospitality, technology and marketing to the company. Formerly employed in hotel management, followed by several years with the Skjersaa Group, Amara is a licensed realtor who thrives on creating excellent systems and procedures. As Circulation Manager, Amara assists with circulation and distribution for Oregon Media publications. The Bend native lives with her husband Rob, their daughter Abigail and two dogs, Otis and Penelope, and enjoys exploring Oregon in their motorhome, appreciating Central Oregon’s changing seasons, and squeezing in a yoga class